Blog Post

St. Louis, MO. September 7, 2014 – The 150th anniversary of Price’s Raid is rapidly approaching. This Confederate mounted operation, which began in mid-September, 1864 at Missouri’s southern border and involved nearly all of the state south of the Missouri River, has special meaning to residents of Jefferson City. It was on October 7, 1864 that Major General Sterling Price with a force of over 10,000 men, nearly captured Missouri’s capital city for the Confederacy. Turned away at the gates of the city, Price failed in his objectives to seat a Confederate governor and to impact the November national elections for Lincoln’s second term. In the wake of these failures, Price moved west until he reached present-day Kansas City, and there fought the Battle of Westport, October 21-23, 1864.

Three years earlier, from September 28, 1861 until October 7, a large federal army occupied Jefferson City as it prepared to embark on a campaign to drive the Sterling Price from the state. This campaign was organized after Price captured Lexington, Missouri, with a force of Missouri State Guard troops, sending shock waves through the north. Commanded by Union Maj. General John C. Fremont, the federal army camped on the hills south and west of the Capitol building, which Fremont dubbed “Camp Lily” in honor of his daughter.

On September 11, 2014, the Missouri State Archives hosts Author Walter Busch, who will speak on the legacy of Price’s Raid. His lecture, entitled “The Successes and Failures of Sterling Price’s Raid through Missouri,” will take place at 7:00 PM at the Archives’ headquarters, 600 W. Main Street in Jefferson City. Busch, who is natural resources manager for the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site, is a prolific author on Price’s Raid.

On October 6, 2014, the national “Road Scholar” program, under the auspices of St. Charles Community College, visits Jefferson City historic sites, including the site of Camp Lily and the Wallendorf Cabin, which is on the grounds of the Missouri Farm Bureau. The Wallendorf Cabin served as Sterling Price’s headquarters on the night of October 7, 1864, when he made the decision to abandon his attack on Jefferson City. Program participants will also visit the Civil War exhibit at the Missouri State Museum, and the National Cemetery, among other sites of interest.

The Road Scholar trip to Jefferson City is part of a seven day excursion entitled “A Divided State: The Civil War in Missouri.” From a base in St. Charles, visitors from all over the United States will tour Civil War sites in Jefferson City, Fulton, Mexico, Arrow Rock, St. Louis, Centralia, Desloge, Ironton and Desoto, among other locations. Tours are conducted by Missouri Civil War authors John Nischwitz, James Erwin and Gregory Wolk. Many of the locations to be visited during the tour were impacted by Price’s Raid.

“St. Charles Community College has been conducting Road Scholar tours for twenty-two years, since 1982,” according to the College’s Pam Ronkoski. “This year, we have participants from Massachusetts to Texas and everywhere in between.” noted Ronkowski, who added that her experience in planning this year’s offering has opened her eyes to the importance of Missouri in Civil War history.

About Missouri’s Civil War Heritage Foundation:

A 501(c)(3) educational organization, MCWHF was founded in 2001 to assist Missouri communities in interpreting and preserving their important Civil War heritage sites, and in marketing Missouri’s vast Civil War resources to visitors who will be traveling during the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

About St. Charles Community College:

St. Charles Community College’s mission is to serve their community by focusing on academic excellence, student success, workforce advancement, and life-long learning within a global society. They strive to celebrate diversity and enrich the economic and cultural vitality of the region by providing an accessible, comprehensive, and supportive environment for teaching and learning.